Rotex 125 Skipping

[Bertotti]

I started a thread called rotex fun. I had the RO-90 and went to town on a floor with it. Yes a floor. 8 hours in I could palm the ro90. By the end of the second day my wrists were so sore I had to wear wrist braces for two weeks and another week just relaxing them Then I was at it again. the first hour and half was hell trying to get that little beast in rotex mode to behave. I can now one hand the ro90 and bought an ro150. When I first tired the ro150 I was thinking I should have bought it to start with it was so easy to use in comparison. I kept both and love both but there is a steep learning curve to the little ro90. I imagine the ro125 to be somewhere in-between the ro90 and ro150 in use of handling. It is all about the balance point and the torque your wrist introduces to the unit while trying to hold it steady. I actually found the orbital mode harder to use on the 150 than the rotex mode. wired I know. Stick with it, it is worth it.

 

[ProfKillbot]

Thanks all.  I spent a few hours the other night with your advice trying to master it.  Still a ways to go it would appear, but I will say as Bertotti mentioned, it is actually a lot easier to handle in Rotex mode than in the orbital mode.  In orbital, there are just so many places on my pieces where it just tries so hard to keep me away.  Removing all downward pressure definitely helped as well as holding it by the plug/hose area.  Even still, there were some places I just couldn't get it to stop bucking without applying the faintest amount of upward pressure (lifting it).  Additionally, I found that if when it's not dead flat on the workpiece it operates kind of smoothly.  It's not bucking around but obviously, it's not sanding flat and evenly if you're doing that.  But when I get it do be perfectly flat on the piece that's when it really digs in and fights me.  I think the next thing I'm going to try is the rotation that mrB mentioned.

One thing I've kind of been wondering, as a complete aside, is why does the 125 exist?  It's really powerful and difficult to handle making it not super well suited for smaller pieces.  It sounds like it is, with practice, good for larger, heavier pieces.  But if you are working on larger pieces with more square footage, then the 150 seems like a much better tool.  More sanding surface area and much more pleasant to operate.  Just wondered if anyone had any thoughts as to what the 125 offers aside from a slightly lower price point than the 150.

 

[AlexThePalex]

I've been using right angle sanders since I was 10 or 12 years old as I grew up in a body shop and that type of sander by Rupes was our default sander type.

I got myself a Rotex 150 12 years ago and I think it is the finest sander I've ever used.

I also have access to my cousin's Rotex 125, and I find it the worst right angle sander I've ever used.

 

[hemmerlinj]

I just received my RO125 this afternoon and I thought I got lemon, but seems like maybe it's operator error at this point.  Having all the same issues. I bought it to for sanding a endgrain cutting boards.  I needed to get rid of the marks from running them thru my Drum sander to flatten them out after the second glue up. It did them job, but damn I felt like I fighting it the whole.  My hand was sore and only just stopped hurting about an hour and half later.  I give all these tips a try tomorrow.  Especially the Dust extraction settings.  Had the vac at full suction.  I'm guessing though that some the issues is that I was sanding end grain.  Or am I wrong about that?

Cheers! 

 

[mkasdin]

On the RO150 I don’t use the side handle. I handle it like a palm sander with my left hand and maneuver it with the right. There’s a balance point. I think it’s easier to get a feel for it in the dual action mode not the geared mode. I also would suggest getting a feel for it rather than trying to master it in from the get-go. You might also try a finer grit 100g+. I think the coarser grits are more prone to semis erratic operator movements?

 

[Bertotti]

On the RO150 I haven't tried the side handle nor the accessory front handle. I didn't buy it. I have my ct 26 set just below half, maybe a bit lower on coarser grits. I also started turning the ct down when using the belt sander and it actually helped with the dust extraction on it as well. Since getting the RO150 I haven't used the belt sander. Now all the sanding I did was on my hands and knees, I can only imagine it is a lot easier upright. Like I said I find orbital harder to use but in rotex I can one-hand both sanders with no issues now. Just take a break when you first start using it to let the muscles in the wrist build up and rest. I could use a belt sander all day but that rotex killed me at first until I got used to it. I don't know that end grain is harder to sand than flat grain but it may be simply because the heavier grits can grab a bit more.

 

[hemmerlinj]

Turned the power down on my Ct midi and changed my hand positions while holding the RO125 and it's like a different machine.  I can control it with one hand holding it back by the hose.  Thanks for the info in this post.  This thing is amazing.  I can't believe a sander could do this.  Surfaces feel smoother at 120 grit than I've gotten with 220 grit with the Makita I was using previously.  I sanded to 320 on the endgrain boards I'm making and they feel like glass.

Cheers!